Sri Lanka High Commission in Ottawa

XVII Summit of the Heads of State and Government

of the Non Aligned Movement

Statement by Hon. Mahinda Samarasinghe

Minister of Skills Development and Vocational Training &

Special Envoy of President Maithripala Sirisena 

Margarita Island, Venezuela. 18 September 2016

Your Excellency Nicolás Maduro Moros, President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela and Chair of the Non-Aligned Movement

Your Excellencies,

Distinguished Delegates,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Let me take this opportunity, on behalf of President Maithripala Sirisena and the people of Sri Lanka, to extend my warm felicitations to Your Excellency on your election as Chair of the Non-Aligned Movement. It is my firm belief that under your able stewardship our Movement will be further strengthened in the years ahead.

Read more: Sri Lanka Statement by Special Envoy of President at XVII NAM Summit

Participating at the Our Ocean Conference 2016, at the invitation of the US Secretary of State John Kerry, Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera, on 15 September, outlined several commitments by Sri Lanka to protect oceans around Sri Lanka and beyond. 

Read more: Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera represents Sri Lanka at the Our Ocean Conference 2016

XVII Summit of the Heads of State and Government

of the Non- Aligned Movement

Hon. Mahinda Samarasinghe

Minister of Skills Development & Vocational Training

Interactive Debate on

“Peace, Sovereignty and Solidarity for Development”

Her Excellency Delcy Eloína Rodríguez Gómez, Minister of the Peoples’ Power for Foreign Affairs of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela and

Chair of the Ministerial Meeting of the Non Aligned Movement,

Your Excellencies,

Distinguished Delegates,

Ladies and Gentlemen, 

It gives me great pleasure to warmly congratulate you Madam Chair, on your assumption as Chair of the Ministerial Meeting of the Non-Aligned Movement and thank you, and through you, the Government of Venezuela for the excellent arrangements and hospitality extended to me and my delegation. Sri Lanka will continue to extend to extend its fullest cooperation in the conduct of the Movement’s programme of work.

Read more: Sri Lanka Statement at Interactive Debate at Ministerial Meeting at XVII NAM Summit

Special Envoy of President Maithripala Sirisena, Hon. Mahinda Samarasinghe, Minister of Skills Development and Vocational Training will lead the Sri Lanka delegation to the 17^th Summit of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) being held from 13-18 September in Margarita Island, Venezuela. In addition to the Summit, Minister Samarasinghe will also represent Sri Lanka at the Ministerial segment to be held from 15-16 September 2016. The Sri Lanka Ambassador to Venezuela, resident in Havana and senior officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs participated at the preceding Senior Officials Meeting from 13-14 September 2016.

Read more: Special Envoy of President to lead Sri Lanka Delegation to 17th NAM Summit

The Government of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka condemns the nuclear test carried out by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) on 9^th September 2016. Sri Lanka notes with concern that this is the second such test to be carried out by the DPRK this year.

Sri Lanka calls upon the DPRK to abide by its international obligations and refrain from any action which would compromise peace and stability in the Korean Peninsula.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Colombo.

14^th September 2016

Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera visited the Republic of Slovenia from 4-8 September on the invitation of Hon Karl Erjavec, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Slovenia to attend the 11^th Bled Strategic Forum 2016. During the visit, Minister Samaraweera met with President Borut Pahor, Prime Minister Miro Cerar, Foreign Minister Karl Erjavec and Minister of Economic Development and Technology Zdravko Počivalšek and reaffirmed Sri Lanka’s commitment to strengthening and consolidating the longstanding relations between Sri Lanka and Slovenia and identifying new areas of cooperation between the two countries. 

Read more: Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera reaffirms commitment to further advancing bilateral ties during visit to the Republic of Slovenia

Address by Hon. Mangala Samaraweera, MP.,

Minister of Foreign Affairs of Sri Lanka

at the

International Institute for Middle-East and Balkan Studies (IFIMES)

Slovenia, 7 September 2016

Democracy, Reconciliation and Development: Vision for a New Sri Lanka

Prof. Dr. Ernest Petrič

Vice President of the Advisory Board of the International Institute for

Middle-East and Balkan Studies, and Members of the Institute 

Honorary Consul of Sri Lanka in Slovenia,

Excellencies,

Distinguished guests,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is an honour for me to be here today, at the invitation of the International Institute for Middle-East and Balkan Studies, to speak to you about the changes that are taking place in my country. 

Read more: Address by Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera at the International Institute for Middle-East and Balkan Studies